Tales of Raftel
by LMAOman
Summary: Zeref had sowed the seed of darkness inside Naruto and convinced him to run away to Raftel, an autonomy of Fiore. There, Naruto befriended Sayla, Natsu, Tayuya, Vivi, and Luffy. Through the good times and bad times, they were just a bunch of kids trying to find their place in the world. They will leave a lasting impact between Earthland and the Elemental Nations.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fairy Tail, Naruto, and One Piece. This is written just for fun.

 **Note:** Looking for someone to clean up my grammar mistakes, which is a major weakness for me. Be sure to P.M. me if you're interested.

* * *

 **Prologue**

As daylight sets, on a second floor at a roundtable, Naruto is scribbling away at an orange notebook. At the corner of the room, by the fireplace, Sayla sat comfortably on a leather chair. On her lap, the little nine-tails fox, Kurama, is sleeping soundly on her lap.

Under normal circumstances, she would be heavily entranced to a book. Admittedly, she couldn't keep focus on one if she tried. Over the last week, Naruto was acting rather 'particular' as of late. He spent a lot of time at that pinewood table, intent on writing.

With a sigh, she just had to ask. She took great care into not waking up Kurama, and gently place the canine on the warm chair. She pulled up a chair and sat next to Naruto.

"Master Naruto. May I ask: what are you doing?"

Naruto stopped writing. He gave his wife a somewhat puzzled look. "You're still me calling that, Sayla?"

Sayla warmly smiled. "Sorry, force of habit."

Naruto knew what it meant. Whenever Sayla addresses him by "Master", she was concerned.

Naruto waved it off her apology. "Nah, I should be apologizing for making you worry so much."

"What exactly are you writing about?"

Naruto flipped through the pages. "Well, I been thinking about leaving behind a legacy of some sorts. You know, like a something like memoir- a chronicles of some sort."

Sayla asked to see the notebook and skimmed though the pages. A lot of the pages seems to document random events.

"How's the progress?" She already knew the answer.

Naruto sighed and slumped back. "Honestly, I don't know. The hardest part is getting started and all the parts are all over the place."

"I see…" Sayla pondered. "Well… why won't you start with Natsu and Tayuya? They were pretty much the precursors."

Naruto grinned at the memory. "Yeah, tell me about it."

"And from there…" Sayla begin to blush a little. "You can write about us… You know, on how we first met and all the crazy stuff we went through. You were so kind and caring... it made me fell for you."

"Sayla…"

Naruto gazed deeply into her brunette eyes. It's as beautiful since the day he met her. He gently touched her lifted her chin and leaned in.

"Naruto…" she leaned in to meet his lips. They were in their own little world.

"Ooh la la," Tayuya interrupted.

"Yeah, you the man, Naruto!" Natsu cheered.

Naruto and Sayla immediately broke off. Their expressions completely flushed for being caught in such an intimate moment.

"So… how long were you guys watching?" Naruto grinned sheepishly.

"We saw the whole thing," Natsu crossed his arms. "Still don't get why y'all embarrassed about it. Not exactly the first time you two kiss."

"It was supposed to be a private moment…" Sayla trailed off.

"In a public lounge? Fat chance," Tayuya asserted. "You guys been at it for a minute, and it was starting to get super heated."

Sayla squirmed. She wanted to crawl in a hole and die.

Naruto cleared his throat, hoping to change the subject. "Anyway, I'm glad you guys are here. I'm writing a memoir about everybody and I need your input."

"A chance to show how awesome I am?" Natsu pounded his fists together. "Hell, yeah!"

It figures that Natsu would easily forget on what just happened. Tayuya, on the other hand, wasn't going to let this juicy situation slip by so easily. No, Naruto and Sayla need to learn what happens will they show public display of affection.

"But before we begin…" Tayuya scooted next to Sayla. She had a devilish grin which made the horned demoness nervous.

"So... does Naruto smack that ass or grabs it?"

* * *

 **Chapter 1: A Dragon-Slayer, An Old Man, and a Potty Mouth**

 **(FYI: This Natsu's introduction and backstory. Skip to Chapter 2 to read about the real star: Naruto Uzumaki!)**

 **~X~X~x~X~**

 **~X~X~x~X~**

Time have passed since the year x784. A young boy with pale red hair was gathering fire woods for his camp. The camp is humble, with a hut made of straws and mud. The campsite is fenced off with flimsy vines and sticks. It was more of a formality. He had beaten up the local wildlife creatures to respect his territory.

The backstory behind all this is that Natsu had previously wandered aimlessly for weeks in search of his father, Igneel. Natsu refused to believe his father would just abandon him like that. Something must've happened; Natsu was sure of! Between looking for food and fighting over-sized carnivorous organisms; being a nomad eventually took its toll.

Now, the strategy is to set up camp in an area, establish dominance over the surrounding wildlife, and then search for Igneel. Natsu is currently on his fourth go-a-round. He started from the shores of the beach, and worked his way into the dense forest/jungle, whatever it was. The weather and terrain seemed to be so random and treacherous.

"Time to get some food," Natsu said to himself as he dropped the wood onto a pit. He went inside the hut to grab a fishing pole and some live baits. He made his way to his usual fishing spot.

However, something was different this time around. On a flat rock, an old man with a plain t-shirt, a white cape and glasses is on Natsu's spot.

As Natsu approached closer, he can see a scar over the old man's right eye, and had quite a unique beard. The most interesting thing is that he was asleep. Who in the heck sleeps in such a dangerous area? Screw that, this old man is in his spot!

A tick mark formed on Natsu's forehead.

"Hey, old man. You're in my spot!" Natsu yelled.

"Hmmm?" the old man yawned. He stood up to stretch.

"Oh, sorry about that," the old man casually waved. "Although, I believe I been at this spot since before you were born. You new here, young man?"

"Err…" Natsu mumbled. Crap, he only been around the area since last week. The old man could be telling the truth. Then again, it doesn't change the fact this area was previously void of the old man's scent.

"And how do I know you're not lying?" Natsu asked defiantly. "I would've picked up your scent if you sat there all the time!"

Scent? The old man incredulously thought. The young man doesn't resemble anything like an animal.

The old man laughed. "Well, I been away on business for a while. Tell me, young man; how are you able smell so well?"

Natsu pumped up his chest. "Because I'm Natsu Dragneel. Son of the legendary dragon, Igneel! He taught me everything I know!"

Again, Natsu's words interest the old man. The first is the fact that a child seem to be thriving in this dangerous environment.

"That's nice to know," the old man stuck out his hand. "We got off on the wrong foot. Allow me to introduce myself: I'm Silvers Rayleigh."

Natsu hesitated for a bit; mostly due to trying to remember what Igneel taught him. When a human offer their hand like that, you do the same and shake theirs. And so, that's what Natsu did.

"As an apology, allow me to catch this fish for you," Rayleigh offered.

"Okay…?" Natsu skeptically accepted. "How you know if you're about to catch a fish?"

A second later, a monster sized fish roared out the water. It was at least ten feet tall and extremely hungry.

"What the heck!?" a surprised Natsu whelped as he felled to his backside. The fish bore its teeth as it torpedoed toward Rayleigh. "Hey! Watch out!"

Rayleigh smirked. He extended his hand toward the fish. The fish stopped midair, and crumbled to the ground, dead.

"Whoa…!" Natsu said in awe. He patted and examined the dead fish. "What did you do?"

"A little something called **Haki** ," Rayleigh explained, wiping off his glasses.

Natsu didn't quite understand. "That's cool. Is it some type of magic?"

"You could say that," Rayleigh answered vaguely. "Tell me something, Natsu. The fishes around here are usually at least five feet tall. How were you catching them all these time?"

Rayleigh used this question to probe Natsu's power. It is highly doubtful that Natsu will reveal such a vital information to a stranger.

"Simple," Natsu raised a fist. A raging fire engulfed it. "I use my fire dragon-slaying magic to knock it out!"

Well, that was easy.

"Although…" Natsu looked at the fish. "This fish is a little too big for my camp fire. It might go rotten by the time I finish it."

Rayleigh tilted his head in mild astonishment. "Why won't you use your magic to cook it?"

"Eh, not enough favor if I did that," Natsu grumbled as he folded his arm.

The answer made Rayleigh guffawed at the young man's answer.

"Now then. If you're willing to share some of your fish with me, my wife can cook it. She's a great cook by the way," Rayleigh offered. He further studied Natsu's tethered clothing. "It looks like you been out here for a while and it look like you could use a bath."

Natsu's stomach growled. Loud enough for both of them to hear it. "Well, it'll be great to have a home cooked meal. I accept," Natsu took up the offer.

Rayleigh was glad Natsu accepted. It did his conscience some good to get a child to a safe haven; even if Natsu is capable of taking care of himself.

"By the way, you been camping out here?" Rayleigh asked.

"Yep."

"Do you need to get anything from your camp before we go?" Rayleigh asked.

"Nah, I already beat up the animals around here. They'll leave it alone," Natsu reassured as he picked up the fish over his shoulders. "Let's go."

"I see," Rayleigh tilted his glasses. He hid his expression of being impressed that the child subdued the creatures. "Well, then. Let's go."

 **~X~X~x~X~**

 **~X~X~x~X~**

It was high noon. Natsu and Rayleigh had some candid conversation as they made their way to the enclave. The later part of the conversation was mostly one sided for Natsu. Natsu had talked endlessly on how amazing his father, Igneel, is.

Rayleigh couldn't help but smile. The kid's aura and demeanor reminded him so much of a certain pupil he once had.

"By the way, Natsu," Rayleigh said they scrolled down a gravel path through the forest. "There's another kid staying at my place. She's around your age."

"Okay, can't wait to meet her!" Natsu said enthusiastically. "What's her name? What's she like? Is she strong?"

Rayleigh chuckled at the series of questions.

"Her name is Tayuya, she have pink hair like you," Rayleigh answered. He thought a little bit about the last question. "I would say she's pretty strong."

Rayleigh noticed the slight gleam in Natsu's eyes. He was a little worried that Natsu might challenge her.

"I should warn you, she is very volatile and temperamental," Rayleigh stated. He hoped to scurry off any potential property damages and possibly to his young guest.

"Mmm… I didn't quite understand what you just said. All I know is that her name is Tayuya, she's strong, and I wanna fight her!" Natsu said excitedly.

"Oh, well. I tried," Rayleigh sighed. He can already tell that Natsu is the type to learn things the hard way. "Please, just make sure you two fight on the training ground."

"Sure thing. I can't wait!" Natsu gleamed.

After a little while, the two walked into a clearing that revealed a grassland. Right in the middle, stood a two story house with red brick sidings, and slate roofing. A small stream ran along the west side of the building. Between the waterway and house, a tall, busty woman with short hair was hanging clothes on the clothesline.

"Hey, Shakky!" Rayleigh greeted, with Natsu following behind.

Shakky, formally known as Shakuyaku, took a poof of her cigarette. "It's been a while, Rayleigh. Went on some business?"

"You can say that," Rayleigh laughed.

"Who's your little friend?" Shakky asked. She giggled as Natsu put down the fish. "He's a cute one."

"Hi, I'm Natsu!" Natsu waved. "I would shake your hand, but I smell like fish!"

Shakky smiled and got to eye level with the young man. Natsu blushed and fidgeted a little. He never had another human so up close to his face before. He couldn't help but notice the two round things underneath her shirt. It's… "intriguing" for some reason.

Rayleigh took notice and mused. The child really was raised by a dragon.

"It's alright, I'll be cooking the fish. I'll smell like fish either way," Shakky offered her hand. "I'm Shakuyaku, but you can call me Shakky."

"Okay, nice to meet you, Shakky," Natsu said a little meekly as he shook her hand.

"Little Natsu said he was raised by a dragon. You're probably the first woman he met," Rayleigh said, clearly amused.

"Oh, my," Shakky put a hand over her mouth.

"Yeah, I been trying to find Igneel for a while now," Natsu continued.

"Igneel?" Shakky asked.

"He's my father," Natsu slumped. "I been looking for him everywhere, but I can't find him."

"He's been looking for him for about a month now," Rayleigh further explained the situation. "Around these parts, no less."

"Oh, wow," Shakky commented. She knew how dangerous the area is. There were large, preparatory animals and bugs that will eat humans with no problem. Natsu must be strong; very strong.

"You must've been through a lot," Shakky said warmly. "Tell you what; how about I prepare you a bath, and then you eat some dinner. We'll talk all about it when you're well rested. Okay?"

"Okay!" Natsu perked up.

Shakky giggled. Natsu's attitude is infectious. "Rayleigh, would you mind skinning the fish for me?"

"Sure thing," Rayleigh gave a quick salute and took the fish to the back of the house.

"It'll be a little while before things get ready," Shakky stood up. "Feel free to look around, but don't go too far off. There's dangerous animals around here."

"Okay, thanks a lot, Shakky," Natsu thanked.

Shakky gave Natsu a quick peck on the forehead, and disappeared into the house. Natsu proceeded to walk around the perimeter. As he walked along the edges that separate the clear plain and dense forest, he picked up the scent, an extremely strong scent, of another human.

Natsu looked up. A girl brown eyes and pink hair that ran past her shoulders sat on a tree branch. She wore a tan tonic with a black singlet underneath. From what Rayleigh described, she must be Tayuya. It is up to Natsu to find out.

"Hey! Are you Tayuya?" Natsu waved at her.

Tayuya took a quick glance at the newcomer. She scowled and continue to look off into the distance. She completely ignored Natsu.

"Maybe she didn't hear me. Must be deaf," Natsu said to himself. He decided to raise his voice. "HEY! ARE YOU TAYUYA!?"

God, this kid is annoying. What in the fuck did Rayleigh bring home this time?

"Yeah, I'm fuckin' Tayuya," Tayuya answered tersely. "Who in the hell are you?"

"Fuck?" Natsu wondered to himself. He could've sworn that Igneel told him that was a bad word. Oh, maybe that's her full name! "Hi, Fuckin' Tayuya! I'm Natsu. Nice to meet you!"

Tayuya growled angrily. Was this kid retarded or something? Whatever it is, he sure got a death wish.

Natsu continued to wave his arms around. "I heard you were strong. I want to fight you!"

"No," Tayuya said plainly, still clearly pissed off. If it weren't for Rayleigh or Shakky, she'd knocked the kid out and leave him to the animals in the forest.

"Ah, come on!" Natsu asked again.

"No!"

"Please?"

There was no reply. Tayuya completely tuned him out. She was experiencing her first period, and was not in the fucking mood.

Natsu grumbled a bit. He really wanted to fight. Maybe another time, perhaps? He decided to change the subject. A subject he been most curious about since he met Shakky.

"Tayuya, you're a girl, right?"

Tayuya groaned. It's official: the kid's retarded. "Yes, leave me alone already!"

"Before I go, I have one more question," Natsu said.

Tayuya sighed. Okay. One more question, just one more question and the kid will leave her the fuck alone.

"What?"

"How come Shakky has these round things under her shirt and you don't?" Natsu asked. "How come you look flat?"

Tayuya's mouth gapped open. It was like hot daggers had pierced through her heart.

Her expression didn't went unnoticed by Natsu. He thought she was getting sick or something.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

She spat on his face.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I know it's a little unusual to give away the ending at the beginning. Then again, it's also not unusual for an author to not finish a story.

So, I decided to take the approach of walking the audience through the process of reaching the ending. If I never finish the story, at least you know the ending.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fairy Tail, Naruto, and One Piece. This is written just for fun.

 **Note:** Looking for someone to clean up my grammar mistakes, which is a major weakness for me. Be sure to P.M. me if you're interested. And be sure to follow and favorite this story.

* * *

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

"Hey, Naruto!" a seething Natsu busted through the door.

"What's up, Natsu?" Naruto waved from the round table.

"What's the big idea telling people to skip chapter one?" Natsu demanded.

"Because your backstory is boring as fuck."

Natsu glared at Tayuya. She had her feet on the table while sucking on a lollipop.

"I put it there," the pink haired woman revealed. She turned to Naruto. "I know you're trying to be nice and all, but the first chapter is the most important one. Focus more on yourself, and then on everyone else later on."

"Thanks. I'll try to keep that in mind," Naruto took the advice to heart.

"Screw that!" Natsu fumed. "Why are you still mad I called you a flat chest? I didn't know better back th-"

 **"Go to sleep,"** Sayla commanded. Natsu took a nap on the floor. Everybody turned to the corner of the room where she sat. "Honestly, I'm trying to read over here."

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

 **~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~**

 **Chapter 2: Failure, Revelation and Spirited Away.**

Naruto Uzumaki is a failure he thought darkly. He failed his genin exam earlier in the day. He really, really tried his best. In the end, he couldn't produce one stinking clone jutsu!

The depressed preteen sat on the swing set under the schoolyard tree. He watched parents congratulate and rejoiced their kids' graduation. Honestly, seeing fellow students with their parents only rubbed sand in the wound.

Just as Naruto was about to leave, he stopped when one of his exam proctors, Mizuki greeted him. Flanking Mizuki's left is his young assistant, Sayla. She was a little bit older than Naruto. She had pale skin, brunette eyes, and raven hair. She wore a standard chunin uniform with a leaf headband wrapped around her neck.

"Oh, hey, Mizuki-sensei," Naruto greeted, hiding his tormented mood. Then he glanced over to the stoic Sayla. "Hello, um… don't mean to be rude, but who are you?"

"I'm Sayla," Sayla introduced herself. She had a monotone, but soothing voice. She bowed gracefully. "I just started to work at the school. Nice to meet you, Naruto Uzumaki."

"Likewise," Naruto replied. He's not going to lie, he thought Sayla could rival Sakura in the looks department.

"Tough day, huh?" Mizuki started as he watched the Hokage and Naruto's teacher, Iruka talked to the alumni and parents.

Naruto sighed. "Tell me about it…"

"How we talk about it somewhere more private?" Mizuki offered. "It'll be worth your while."

"Sure, why not?" Naruto accepted. It wasn't like the blonde had anything else better to do.

Naruto eventually found himself on a construction walkway over a rocky ledge. It overlooked the entire village. As the sun goes over the horizon, Mizuki, restarted the conversation.

"I know it stings, but Iruka-sensei is really looking out for your best interest."

Naruto was sitting on the edge. He scoffed at the statement. "Then why?" referring to the fact that Iruka was the one that gave him a failing grade at the final exam.

"The world of shinobi is a tough and dangerous place. He won't do you any favors by going easy on you," Mizuki explained. "He did it because he cares about you."

Naruto didn't say anything and look on at the sunset. He already knew that. Doesn't change the fact he's still angry at him and himself.

"Tell you what- there is another way to pass the final exam," Mizuki said.

"What? Really!?" Naruto stood up, facing the white hair man and his assistant.

"All you have you have to do is get a 'secret scroll' from the Hokage Tower, and some learn techniques when you open it," Mizuki explained. "Of course, the whole point is to do it within a time limit and not get caught while doing it. So, are you in?"

"Yeah, believe it!" Naruto pumped his fist. He was very excited he had another chance at redemption.

"Very well," Mizuki replied. He turned to Sayla. "Sayla will meet you around at midnight at your compound. She will give you the details."

Sayla simply nodded.

 **~X~X~X~X~**

 **~X~X~X~X~**

Shortly before midnight, Naruto felt like he was in heaven. He couldn't wait to prove everyone wrong, and that he is worthy to be called a ninja. Most importantly, he wanted to make Iruka-sensei proud.

A knock came at the door. It was Sayla. Naruto closed the door behind her as she made her way in.

"Hello, Naruto," Sayla bowed. "I trust you are ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Naruto exclaimed as he stretched his legs.

"Before we begin…" the raven haired beauty close the distance between her face and Naruto.

"What you doing?" Naruto asked. He begin to blush and fidget. He never had a girl so up close like this. He stiffened when her hands were on his shoulders.

"Please open your mouth a litte," Sayla commanded.

Naruto complied. It was almost like time stopped when their lips locked. The kiss deepened into a soft french. He can feel a capsule transferring from her mouth to his. She gently lifted his chin.

"Swallow," she said softly, but firmly. Naruto obeyed. It has the feel and taste of a cough medicine. "It's part of the test."

Naruto was still flush from the kiss. It was the first kiss he ever had. However, Sayla looks cool and collected as though nothing happened. A thought cross his mind.

"Wait a minute, couldn't you just handed me that… whatever you wanted me to eat?" Naruto asked.

Sayla pondered for a bit. "Yeah, I could've. I read something about kissing and I wanted to try it out."

"Oh," Naruto said. He was a little disappointed in the answer. He thought she liked him or something. Turns out he was nothing but an experiment to her. Ah, what is he thinking? He just met her. He shouldn't be having these feelings!

"What's the matter?"

"I thought my first kiss… would have some more meaning to it," Naruto answered truthfully.

Sayla thought for a moment. "If it make you feel any better, you were also my first."

"Really?" Naruto perked up.

"Yes, really," Sayla reassured. She pulled out a piece of paper. "This is a map and instructions. I am also instructed to watch over and assist you if anything abnormal arises. The test will start 12 o' clock sharp."

"Yes, ma'am!" Naruto saluted.

 **~X~X~X~X~**

 **~X~X~X~X~**

Naruto's retrieval of the giant scroll was relatively easy. The guards weren't even there to guard the scroll. At the time, he didn't thought anything of it. The guards were probably slacking off. What he didn't see was that the guards were knocked out and hidden from plain view. He quickly made it the forest and then to an old shack on the outskirt of the village.

So far so good. Now all that's left is to learn the techniques and complete the test! The blonde grimaced when he saw the first technique listed. It was called the shadow clone jutsu.

"Ah, man!" Naruto groaned. He slid against the shack and planted his bottom to the ground. "Clone jutsu is the worst!"

A piece of paper fell from the scroll.

"Umm… what's this?" Naruto examined the piece of paper. The words had some weird pronunciations. It was like the words were written backwards. Naruto once again review the instruction. It was clearly written to learn the first technique in the scroll and then repeat the words on a loose paper contained in the scroll. Only then, will the second technique will reveal itself and the test is finish.

"Alright, time to get to work!" Naruto amped up. No damn clone jutsu is going to keep him from being a ninja.

For an hour straight, Naruto channel his charka to produce a shadow clone. On the verge of charka and physical exhaustion, he put all his will and determination to produce a complete and viable shadow clone.

"Eh, alright, I finally did it!" Naruto cheered as he dispersed his jutsu. He slumped in a heave of near hyperventilation. The celebration is cut short when he heard voices echoing in the forest. He could barely make it out, but it sounded like they were searching for Naruto and the scroll. That mean the time limit for his test is close.

"Oh, crap, I need to complete the test!" Naruto panicked. He quickly pick up the loose piece of paper. It requires a signature written in blood. This must be one those summoning jutsu his teacher discussed in class. He pricked his thumb and sign on the dotted line.

He concentrated and repeated the words as best as he could. " **Esaeler. Uoy ot gnoleb luos ym dna em ot gnoleb luos ruoy. Eehe nommus I. Ferez fo eman eht yb. Nomed**."

Unbeknownst to Naruto, the forward letters are, **"Demon. By the name of Zeref. I summon thee. Your soul belong to me and my soul belong to you. Release."**

Immediately, Naruto crumpled to the ground. It felt as though his stomach were being torn apart. Red orange charka seeped out and started to take form.

Nearby, his teacher Iruka was on the search party. He heard his student cries of pain. When Iruka stepped into the clearing, he found his student. He planned on giving his student a scolding of a lifetime.

Iruka's entire being was racked with fear, disbelief, and rage when he saw what was sitting on Naruto's lap. It was the size of a regular fox cub, but there is no mistaking it, it is a miniature version of the nine tail fox.

"Naruto…"

"Oh, hey, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto waved, taking great not to wake the fox kit. "I finally did it!? I passed the test!"

Iruka had a look of confusion. "Test?"

"Yeah, I took the secret test Mizuki-sensei told me about," Naruto said excitedly. "I finally master the clone jutsu and I did this weird summoning jutsu and then this weird fox appeared from my stomach. I can finally be a ninja now!"

Iruka gave his student a blank stare. It was bad enough Naruto stole the sacred scroll and summoned the nine tail fox. It added a whole another dimension that Mizuki is behind all this. It now all made sense that a ninja apprentice easily stole a valuable asset. Damn it, this whole situation is a complete mess. However, first thing is first. That sleeping fox on Naruto's lap must die.

"Iruka-sensei, what's wrong?" Naruto asked worryingly.

"Naruto, I can definitely see you worked hard to master the clone jutsu," Iruka half smiled. He recognize that his student's tattered clothing is a result of excess charka use. He frowned as he brought up his kunai. "However, that fox is dangerous. It needs to die."

"What? Why? I was just doing the test. Why an innocent animal need to die!?" Naruto demanded, clenching the fox tightly to his chest.

Iruka really wanted to tell Naruto. The village law prevented him from doing so.

"Naruto, I…"

Iruka heard the sound of projectile aimed at Naruto. "Watch out!" He swiftly pushed Naruto out of the way.

Naruto stammered at the sight of his teacher being pinned against the shack. Most of the kunais just hit the outer egdes of his sensei's clothes. At least one of the weapon is lodged into Iruka's upper leg.

Iruka growled at the source of his pain. "Mizuki, you bastard!"

At a nearby tree, Mizuki snickered at his former comrade. "You were always a fool, Iruka." He turned to Naruto. "Great job, Naruto. Now hand me the scroll."

"Wait. What? Why?" Naruto asked, clearly confused at the situation.

"Because I said so you damn demon," Mizuki said in a low dangerous voice.

"Demon?"

"Oh, what? Nobody told you?" Mizuki said mockingly. "Fine, I'll tell you."

"Stop, Mizuki. It's against the decree!" Iruka pleaded. Damn it, why did things have to be this way?

Mizuki scoffed at the pathetic sight. He ignored his former comrade and continue the tale. "Remember the nine-tail fox that attacked the village twelve years ago? It is sealed within you."

"Huh?" Naruto stared in bewilderment.

Mizuki pointed to the sleeping fox that Naruto held. "That fox you're holding is the exact replica of the nine-tail fox. Imagine that fox being bigger than the hokage monument. Now imagine it destroying the village while killing and crushing people like Iruka's parents."

Naruto looked to Iruka to see if Mizuki is telling the truth. His sensei's downward glance and silence spoke volume.

"After the Fourth Hokage's death, the fox was eventually sealed within you," Mizuki sneered. "The Third Hokage passed a law to never speak about the incident, including where the fox is. I guess that explain why people in the village hate you so much. Hell, that's why Iruka only pretended to like you. He did it on the order of the Hokage."

Naruto's feel like his whole world came crashing down. "No, you're lying!" Naruto denied. A wave of charka engulfed him, reflecting his despair and anger. It only served to further exhaust him.

"Like I give a damn," Mizuki prepared to throw a giant shuriken at Naruto. "I'm going to kill all of you and take that scroll. The entire blame will be placed on you for stealing it in the first place."

Naruto can only fall flat on his bottom. Physical, mental, and charka exhaustion all crashed down at the worst possible time. Naruto flinched at his impending doom. The flying weapon never came. A trickle of blood dropped on his face. Opening his eyes, Iruka had shielded him. The giant shuriken had impaled his back, just missing the spine.

"Iruka-sensei, why?"

"Naruto…" Iruka's tears gushed. "Don't listen to Muzuki. I don't hate you. I understand what you're going through. The loneliness of growing up without a family is very painful. When my parents died, it felt like the whole village forgotten all about me."

Iruka winced at the pain. He continued on. "So, just like you, I became the class clown to mask my pain. Any attention was good attention and I paid for it with my grades. I was in deep despair until the Hokage showed me kindness and love. He reminded me of what you're going through. I tried to make it a personal mission to try and shield you from the despair of loneliness."

"Iruka-sensei," Naruto can feel his own tears forming.

"I failed. I underestimated the village's vindictiveness towards you. Being alone is one thing, but people hating you over something you had no control over is completely unfair. No one should go through what you're going through."

Naruto sniffed. He have had enough. His dam was about to break. With the sacred scroll scrapped to his back and holding a little fox for dear life, Naruto ran away into the deep forest.

"Naruto…" Iruka muttered as his student disappeared.

"What a touching story, almost broke my heart," Mizuki said sarcastically. He stood above his helpless, former comrade. "I knew you were always too weak. I don't get why you care about the beast that killed your parents."

"Naruto didn't kill my parents!" Iruka beamed back. "And you're a goddamn traitor! The hell you care?"

"You're right, I don't care," Mizuki unsheathe a kunai. "I'll kill you and that demon! I'll take that fucking scroll and burn this whole village down!"

Iruka couldn't believe what Mizuki was saying. The person he thought he knew was mad with power. What drove him to such madness?

"Die!"

Iruka clutched the grass, expecting the end. Instead, Mizuki crumbled to the ground. Dead.

" _He served his purpose and your time isn't up yet,"_ a voice interjected.

Iruka desperately look around for the source. "Who are you!?" he demanded.

" _Don't worry. I'm only here for the Fourth Hokage's legacy,"_ the voice answered. _"I assure you, I won't take the sacred scroll."_

"Legacy?" Iruka asked. A realization struck him. "I don't give a damn about the scroll, you're not taking Naruto!" Iruka screamed. With an adrenaline rush, he pulled out the giant shuriken and chased after his student.

 **~X~X~X~X~**

 **~X~X~X~X~**

Against a tree trunk, Naruto wept uncontrollably. The little nine tails was practically drenched from his tears. He didn't know what to do. Between stealing something important, the village hating him, the nine tail demon sealed inside him, and the unforgivable act of abandoning his sensei to certain death, he felt like absolute trash.

"What do I do? What do I do?" Naruto bitterly whispered.

"What a troublesome situation you're in."

A young man with short raven hair appeared out of in front of him. He wore a dark robe with gold trim. Above his robe, a white toga draped diagonally across his torso. He is the dark wizard, Zeref Dragneel.

Naruto's throat went dry. He couldn't say or do anything. Despite his lack of experience in gauging people, he can tell this man was strong. Stupid strong. He can feel the atmosphere choking the life out of him.

"Excuse me," Zeref said apologetically. He tune down his power to release the death-like grip that engulfed Naruto.

Naruto gasped for air. "Who…are…you…?"

"No one of importance," Zeref simply answered. Naruto grimaced. "Or someone of great importance. It is in the eye of the beholder. In this case, you."

"I'm asking for your name," Naruto stated.

"Hmm…" Zeref brought up a hand to his chin. He went by many names. "Depends."

Naruto was annoyed and exhausted. "You're not making any damn sense."

"I can say the same about you and what's been going on."

Naruto didn't reply. Zeref was right. Nothing made sense anymore.

"I suppose you can call me your guardian, young Naruto Uzumaki," Zeref stated.

"Okay…" Naruto said skeptically. He found it strange how this strange man knew his name, but that's a question for another time. "What you mean by that?"

"I been watching you for a long time now and I have a vested interest for your well-being. For one thing, I killed Mizuki for you, and your sensei is safe," Zeref answered. He can see the wave of relief on the young boy's face. "However, whether or not I continue to be your guardian depends on your choices."

"Meaning?"

Zeref sat down; probably to appear less intimidating. It didn't work as his soft, lazy-like, yet uneasy glance bored a hole into Naruto. "If you choose to go back your village, I'll stop watching over you. However, you will most certainty face severe punishment for stealing that scroll. You will probably never be a ninja because of it."

Naruto looked at Zeref intently. The older gentleman pointed at the fox on Naruto's lap. "Since you found out about your history, you'll be a prisoner in your own village. Your own people will still hate you. Eventually, you will be driven into madness and despair. They won't miss you if you take your own life."

Naruto swallowed bitterly. He knew he messed up big time. If he can't become a ninja, he will have no way of proving himself to the whole village. If that's taken from him, he is doomed to a life of misery.

Zeref inwardly smiled. He can feel the negativity flowing through Naruto. The capsule he had Sayla gave to Naruto had sow the seed of darkness. It is spreading rapidly, more so than expected. What he didn't expect is part of the nine tails taking form. It'll be quite interesting.

"However there is a second option," Zeref brought up. "I can continue being your guardian if you choose to leave your village."

"L-l-leave?" Naruto stammered. "I can't do that. This village is all I know. They will hunt down people that leaves."

"I believe you're still a civilian since you failed your exam. You're not a ninja, so I doubt they'd put a price on your head," Zeref said. "And I highly doubt they will make it public knowledge that their secret weapon is on the run."

"And then about the other countries?" Naruto asked. "They'll kill me if they find out my nationality. Or worse, what if they'll find out about the demon within me?"

"I'll simply teleport you to Earthland. It is a subcontinent beyond the borders of the Elemental Nations. They're relatively peaceful countries and hardly know anything about the ninja world. Therefore, they can't discriminate against you." Zeref reassured.

Naruto vaguely heard about Earthland. The people over there use magic, which is their version of charka. "But that won't stop my village from trying to pursue me."

Zeref shook his head. "There is also an ancient, powerful barrier that separates the Elemental Nations and Earthland. I am one of the few that is able to transcend it. Besides, there are too many political complications for anyone from these nations to be in Earthland."

"Still doesn't make sense. What's the point of going there if I'm basically an illegal alien."

"Simple, I will teleport you to Fiore. They're an independent country that operate outside the political restrictions," Zeref reassured. "Now, we already talked long enough, and I know you're stalling for time. Decide your fate, Naruto Uzumaki."

Naruto closed his eyes. This was the moment of truth. Do he continue to live in a place where people lied and despised him? There were very few people that cared about him including Iruka, and the Hokage. After this incident, he seriously doubt if their relationships will ever be the same. And then, that leaves the rest of the village… there is no more denying it. They hated him. Hell, even if he became a ninja or even Hokage, it'll all be the same.

Zeref can see the aura around Naruto darkened.

Naruto stood by. He came to a decision.

"Fine, I'll leave the village. If I'm going to be alone, at the very least, I can start fresh. If people are going to hate me, it'll be of my own actions and not because of what I am."

"Excellent choice, however you won't be alone," Zeref made a bubble appeared. Inside is a girl that Naruto previously met.

"That's Sayla!" Naruto exclaimed. He grew suspicious. "Wait a minute, don't tell me you planned this whole thing out?"

Zeref shook his head. "No, Mizuki had already conspired to use you and then frame you. I merely inserted my own plans for a more favorable outcome. It was all for your benefit."

Zeref gently placed Sayla at Naruto's feet. Unlike before, she now wore a dark kimono. She had strange marking on her forehead and shoulders. The most glaring difference is the golden horns protruding from her head.

"She is an innocent victim. I been using her to help you," Zeref said sadly. "To protect her, I made it so that only you and Mizuki were able to see her. And I already erased most of her memory involving this incident to clear her of any wrong doings."

"And what with the horns?" Naruto pointed to Sayla.

"Simple, she's a demon summoned from a special book," Zeref replied. "Remember that tablet she gave you? It is actually a book. A book that you now hold within you. In other words, you're her master. You are now responsible for her well-being."

"I have one last question, why are you doing all this?" Naruto asked. At his age, even he knew all of this was too good to be true. For crying out loud, he was given a demon servant!

"Simple, I knew your parents, and I promised them that I would take care of you when the time comes," Zeref answered.

"Really!? Can you tell me who they are?" Naruto asked. He was excited to find out who his parents were.

"I'm sorry, I cannot say," Zeref disappointed the blonde. "It is far too dangerous. Only when you get more stronger, you will find out your parents' names and mine. And what we stand for. However, I want you to live your life to the fullest, Naruto. You needn't be haste to get stronger. I want you to have friends and families, you deserve it. Can you do that for me?"

"Yeah, I will," Naruto said determinedly. "I'm not going to lie, this is all too much to take in. I promise to try and do my best. I am ready to go."

"As you wish," Zeref complied. A green seal glowed beneath Naruto. When he looked at Zeref, he is somehow holding the sacred scroll. "It'll be best if you leave this here. This is too important for your village. Iruka should be able to find it."

Naruto understood. With that the group of himself, Sayla, and the miniature nine tails disappeared.

Zeref gave an empty smile. Everything went according to plan. Even if Naruto refused to leave the village by his own volition, it'll be been more than easy to manipulate the blond's mind through magic. But because Naruto chose to leave by his own choice, the darkness within will grow faster. Maybe, finally, Zeref can find the death he seeks. Zeref looked at the piece of paper that Naruto signed in blood. More letters appeared that Naruto couldn't have possibly seen before he signed it.

"Your soul now belongs to me, Naruto Uzumaki."

The Dark Mage placed the scroll at a visible location for Iruka to found. Shortly after he disappeared, he placed a powerful time-delay magic to restart time. Zeref is rather thankful that Naruto didn't notice that time froze while they spoke. Less questions to answer.

At sunrise, Iruka eventually found the scroll. With his student nowhere to found, he broke down and cried.

 **~X~X~X~X~**

 **~X~X~X~X~**

It had been one year since Natsu lived with Rayleigh, Shakky, and Tayuya. The latter, he had to admit, haven't change that much since he met her. She had this impenetrable wall around her, and constantly treated Natsu with disdain whenever he tried to befriend her.

Tayuya had to admit, the kid was persistent. She had to give him an A for effort, but an F for brains. This time, the brat decided to beat his love of friendship and respect into her. She don't know how that's supposed to make sense, but that's the logic of the flame for brain.

At the training ground, Natsu and Tayuya had spectators; the compound residents: Shakky and Rayleigh. Along with them, a recent newcomer, Happy- a blue flying cat with a love for fish.

"How many times is this already?" Happy asked, crewing on a trout.

"I counted a total of 49 times," Rayleigh said, amused at the cat's antics.

"And how many times did Natsu lose?" Happy asked.

"49 times," Shakky answered. She rubbed Happy on the ear, earning a cute purr.

"Alright, get ready!" Natsu flared up his fist.

"Whatever, I'll kick your ass," Tayuya own fists turned metal gray, a product of **Busoshoku Haki.** She isn't one hundred percent proficient with this technique, but she recognize that Natsu is increasingly becoming stronger and faster by the day.

Before Natsu could predictably charge Tayuya, a group of people came crashing on the hapless dragon-slayer.

"What the hell!?" Natsu yelped.

"Oh, my!" Shakky gasped.

Rayleigh took a sip of alcohol and laughed at the whole situation. Things just got more interesting.

Tayuya sighed at the sight. On top of the pink idiot is a blonde that looks like an idiot, a girl with horns, and an orange fox with nine tails. Yep, more fucking weirdos.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Please be sure to favorite or follow this story.


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